PR earns Rs 35.8b up to March : NA told

ISLAMABAD, Apr 29 (APP):Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday informed the National Assembly that Pakistan Railways has earned Rs. 35.824 billion upto March, 
this year from operational activities.
The amount is Rs. 3.068 billion more than the revenue earned during the same period in last financial year.
Responding to question during question hour he said Pakistan Railways had started various passenger and freight trains. He said most of the trains started by the incumbent government were running above their occupancy.
The minister said, Pakistan and China have signed agreement to upgrade ML-1 railway track from Peshawar to Karachi.
Under the agreement, Pakistan’s Railways and China’s National Railway Administration will start construction work on this project, he added.
Karachi ML-1 project would be completed in next five years under which 1,872 kilometer long track from Peshawar to Karachi would be upgraded, along with fencing of rail trail and construction of bridges and crossings.
  The track will have a computer-based signaling and control system as well as a grade separation to ensure the safety of train operations.
The project will increase the speed of passenger trains from the current
65km-110km per hour to 160km per hour, while freight trains will be operated at 120km per hour.
The travel time from Rawalpindi to Karachi will reduce from 22 hours to 10 hours. A train will reach Lahore from Rawalpindi in just 2.5 hours. The number of trains will double with the completion of the project. The freight share will increase to 20% which is currently less than 4%.
The minister said that the all trains put on fire on the assassination of Benazir Bhutto had been rehabilitated. “All the trains’ burned on the assassination of Benazir Bhutto had been put on track” he added.
He said that Pakistan Railways was providing concessional travel facilities to local and foreign students, blind persons and senior citizens above 75 years of age.
 Citizens above 65 years were being offered 25 per cent concession in AC and 50 per cent in economy class, he added.